in Skin Care

ROLES OF A SALON MANAGER

by cutilucent March 19, 2025, 7:41 pm

To run your salon efficiently and professionally you will need to have a structured programme and be a good manager. As a manager there are things that you have to understand, do and recognise. There are certain jobs and tasks that should be done daily, others that need to be sorted out on a weekly basis and some that need to be done only once a month. Some tasks you can give to others to do and you only supervise. There must be rules and regulations, policies and procedures that must be followed by everyone. Apart from the normal treatments which everyone has to do (and that includes the majority of owners who try to manage their salon as well as doing treatments), the salon will run smoothly only if everyone knows their role, what they are meant to do and when they should do it.

The manager’s role

Here we look at the day-to-day running of the salon and managing the salon, staff and customers.

Although it is not recommended, if you decide to do treatments as well as manage your salon, you will need to fully understand certain issues which will enable you to carry out both jobs at the same time. Here are some of them:

Set aside time for each job: treatment time and managing time.

You must understand the daily needs of your salon.
You have to understand your staff and know how to deal with their individual characters.
You should encourage good communication with and among staff members.
Meet the needs of your customers, who are ultimately your ‘paymasters’ (the lifeblood of your business).
Always be fully aware of what is going on in the salon.
Avoid chaos and ensure the smooth running of the salon by having systems in place that help everyone to do their jobs properly, and in line with your salon’s rules, policies and procedures.
Delegate responsibility for various tasks and make sure they are done correctly.
Make everyone accountable for their actions and behaviour.
Lead your staff by example; do everything the way you expect your staff to do it.
Do not try to control your staff.
Always be calm and relaxed, even when everything is hectic.

Providing an efficient and friendly service

The first point of contact with your salon for all of your clients will be the reception, be it by phone or by walking in. Answering the client politely and correctly is essential for that positive first impression. The following points add to the efficiency of your salon and should be followed:

Every customer should be greeted with a smile and offered help or assistance. For example, the receptionist can say, ‘Good morning, my name is Tina, can I help you?’
If the client has come for a booking, then they should be asked if this is their first visit, what the appointment is for and the desired time. The booking must be
made correctly, taking full details of the customer, and giving the customer an appointment card with details of the appointment on it.
If the customer is in for advice or for a product, ensure that full attention is given to them. Llsten carefully to what they say and reply accordingly. Whatever you do, make sure that the customer leaves the salon satisfied and happy.
When a customer phones the salon, it is important that a clear and friendly voice replies and that the call does not go straight to answerphone.
A typical phone greeting could be, ‘Thank you for calling Beauty 4U, Claire speaking. How can I help you?’
Whenever possible, ensure that your therapists do not run late. If this happens, explain to the visiting client the reason and length of the delay and pleasantly apologise. Lead the client to the waiting room and offer them a drink and some reading materials.
If possible, discreetly inform the therapist that their next client has arrived.
After a while, go to see the waiting client and make sure everything is OK. If possible, inform them of how much longer they may have to wait.
Never discuss any problem and never argue with or tell a therapist off in front of clients.
Always make sure that your booking system is in proper order, so that there is no confusion about the therapists, time or nature of treatment when appointments are made.
Samples, price lists, information packs, pens, etc. should always be in their right places and everyone should know where everything is.
Before a treatment commences, therapists should ensure that everything is ready. This will prevent the customer having to wait while your staff desperately look everywhere for something they need.
Details of every customer and the date and type of treatments must be recorded on a client record card. Any health issue or other relevant information must be filled in. This can be done on a computer if you use one for your records.
Finally, every customer expects a friendly and efficient service; make sure you give it to them, or they will not come back.

Maintaining hygiene and cleanliness

Maintaining a very high standard of hygiene and cleanliness is vital to your salon. This is something which should be practised by all personnel from day one and maintained every day. Hygiene and cleanliness is not something just for the treatment rooms, couches and equipment. It should run through every part of the salon, including the staff room, toilet, the sink, under the sink and everything else that does not move. It also applies to the therapists, beauticians and other members of staff. It is vital to prevent cross-infection and to safeguard the interest of both the clients and the therapists. Here are some useful suggestions:

The treatment rooms, including the wax pots, should be cleaned spotless after every client.
New couch covers and towels must be used for every client.
Whenever reusable tools are used, they must be sterilised thoroughly after every treatment.
New waxing spatulas must be used for each client.
Uniforms should be clean, washed and unsoiled at all times.
All trolleys and work surfaces should be wiped with disinfectant dai!J.
Make sure that all members of staff know what they need to do to keep the salon clean and safe.
Display a list of cleaning tasks that must be done on a daily, weekly and monthly basis.
Organise a deep clean of the salon if it is quiet.
Sterilising and sanitising rules and procedures should be clearly displayed near the sinks, both in the treatment rooms and in the manicure area, with all the necessary equipment and products clearly marked and available for use.

It is essential to prevent cross-infection, either between client and therapist, or client and client, by cleaning, disinfecting and sterilising all equipment and tools. It is important for the salon owner and manager to recognise the differences between these procedures.

Cleaning should be done routinely to remove dust, grease, hair or dirt from the salon, its equipment and tools. The salon should be swept, the floor washed and dust removed from all surfaces and rooms on a daily basis.

Disinfection reduces the number of micro-organisms to a level low enough to make infection unlikely. It is usually carried out using chemicals such as Barbicide or diluted bleach or other disinfectants .

Sterilisation is the process of making items sterile. With the increased spread and awareness of HIV, hepatitis C and funguses, it is vital to safeguard ourselves, our clients and our business by ensuring the sterilising of all tools. All implements that are required to be sterile must be cleaned in hot water and soap, then dried and finally sterilised using your chosen method. There are four main methods of sterilisation in the beauty salon.

Chemicals. There are several brands on the market, the best known being Barbicide . They can be decanted into spray bottles which are kept at every sink and manicure or pedicure station, to be sprayed on clean tools immediately prior to treatment, thereby reassuring the client.

UV cabinet. After cleaning, your tools, sponges and files can be stored in a UV (ultra-violet) cabinet to inhibit the growth of bacteria . However, the items must be clean prior to being put in the cabinet as UV light has limited penetration and any oil or debris renders it ineffective.

Glass-bead steriliser. Tiny glass beads contained in a protective case are heated to a temperature of 190° to 300°C. It is compact, easy to use and quick, sterilising small metal implements such as manicure tools and tweezers in five minutes .

Autoclave. This is a closed unit that increases the temperature of boiling water to 110° to 135°C, destroying all bacterial and fungal spores. This is by far the most effective and efficient method for sterilising metal tools.

Disposing of waste

Give careful consideration to the disposal of your waste, including hazardous materials, and recycle where possible. The following is a list of suggested guidelines:

Rubbish bins should be conveniently placed in every treatment room. They should have disposable liners and be kept free from old wax or other products.
Bins should be emptied every day, or before they are full, and placed inside a larger rubbish bag which should be put outside in the street for collection according to your council’s commercial waste procedures. In Westminster in central London, all commercial waste must be put in specially-bought grey commercial waste bin bags and placed outside only between 7a.m. and 10a.m. Failure to comply could lead to a £1000 fine, so check your local council rules.
Recycle where possible. Cardboard boxes should be flattened and taken to the recycling point, along with plastic and glass containers and paper, unless of course your council collects them.
Hazardous waste will need special care and a different arrangement has to be made for its disposal. Your local council will again be able to offer advice and guidance on this. The most common hazards in the beauty salon are blades, needles and other sharp disposable items which must be disposed of in a special sharps container.
The sharps container should be easily recognisable, durable, puncture-proof and lockable. Take your sharps box to your local hospital for incineration when full.
If you do generate toxic waste, again talk to your council for advice. In a lot of cases a specialist company will have to come to your salon and remove this, for a fee.

Organising laundry

Salons create a lot of washing, with towels, couch covers and uniforms needing daily washing and drying. Recently it has become popular to carry out face and body treatments using hot towels which are normally kept in a heated cabinet. This has increased the necessity for the daily washing of even more towels.

The most cost-effective method is to buy a good commercial washing machine and a tumble dryer for staff to operate throughout the day. There is an initial outlay for the machines, together with the continuous running costs of washing powder and electricity. But in the long run this will work out much cheaper than a laundry service. However, using a laundry service or service wash can save you time and provides a higher quality finish.

Getting the first impression right

The first impression is the lasting impression. The first visit, the first phone call, the first advice; these are all either the beginning or the end of a client, depending on how they are treated, spoken to or advised and what impression they get from their experience.

Employing professional, trained and informed staff

Having trained, knowledgeable and professional staff is essential if you are going to run a successful salon. One of the many reasons why clients seek help and advice from a beauty salon is for the specialist knowledge, training and experience that the therapists have. Draw on this knowledge and innate confidence that the client has in you by offering free consultations. You and your staff should be able to suggest the best course of treatment or products for the client to see effective results. Each client should be approached with a pleasant, caring and professional attitude, without the ‘hard sell’, to ensure trust and repeat visits. Clients pay for your time – they should get your undivided attention.

Managing the reception

Apart from the clean and welcoming look of the reception, what impresses clients and potential customers most is being able to speak to a pleasant receptionist when visiting or calling the salon. The receptionist needs to be well-informed on all aspects of products and treatments, and be able to give advice to the client on their beauty concerns. The receptionist should speak clearly and be able to make the right appointment for the customer.

Many small beauty salons which run their businesses on very small budgets cannot afford a full-time receptionist. As a result, the majority of telephone calls go straight to the answerphone and sometimes are not replied to for several hours. Also, while all the therapists are in the treatment rooms, the door to the salon will be closed, with a hand-written note saying, ‘Please ring the bell’ or ‘In treatment, back in half an hour’. Although there will be times when this is unavoidable, neither of these scenarios promotes a professional image and will not give a potential customer much confidence. Also, while the door is shut, any customer wanting to make an appointment or buy products may just walk away to another salon, resulting in a lost sale or client.